SOSTENGA
ON GREGORY CAJETE’S NATIVE SCIENCE:
NATURAL LAWS OF INTERDEPENDENCE
C B
T here are many opportunities for hu-
man activity to integrate more syn-
ergistically with the delicate balances of
nature. Over many centuries most of the
human race has somehow been taught
and subscribes to the concept that exis-
tence and nature are possessions, e.g. “it’s
your life” and “our water.” Over time, and
in the interest of survival, many of our
daily activities involve “fighting the ele-
ments,” especially when there is seasonal
change. As human beings we seek to
learn more about the world in which we
live, and for better or worse, name it and
master it. Sustainability, in the interest
of preservation of the environment and
resources for future generations, requires
that we reflect on the temporary nature
of our time on Earth and acknowledge
that our actions and behaviors are inte-
gral to an overall system upon which we
rely for our existence and for that of fu-
ture generations.
On each extreme there are those who
believe that the natural systems should
have no human interface in order to be
healthy; and on the other side are those
who hold solely an instrumental value,
that nature is to be used and manipulat-
ed for human purpose. The good news is
that typical of any normal statistical dis-
tribution, the majority of the population
seeks to find the balance for our role in
the natural environment. As hills are lev-
eled and trees are cleared for the Super
WalMart that was approved in 2005 in
south Santa Fe, and trees are cleared on
20 '2%%. &)2% 4)-%3 s ./6%-"%2 
a school campus for buildings in a region
of rolling green golf courses where water
availability for future generations is in
question, there remains an opportunity
to be reminded that we exist in an in-
terrelated system where our actions have
long term ripple effects.
“Healthy environment, healthy culture,
healthy people,” is the defining premise
of sustainability as described in A People’s
Ecology: Explorations in Sustainable Liv-
ing (Clear Light, 1999), edited by Dr.
Gregory Cajete, a Santa Clara Pueblo
Native and Associate Professor at the
University of New Mexico. The book
is a compilation of essays revealing tra-
dition as sustainability in the area of
diet and health of the Native peoples
of the United States and Mexico. It is
upon the premise of “Healthy environ-
ment, healthy culture, healthy people,”
that Northern New Mexico College
established a baccalaureate degree in
Environmental Science in 2006, and the
¡Sostenga! Center for Sustainable Food,
Agriculture, and Environment in 2007.
Though the book is now ten years old,
I recently read Native Science: Natural
Laws of Interdependence (Clear Light,
1999) written by Dr. Gregory Cajete.
This book is relevant in reminding us
that we are all part of this intrinsi-
cally interrelated system. And though
based on the sciences as viewed by
indigenous tribes in the Americas, it
provides an opportunity for the reader
to consider how our deepest roots re-
side in our ability to work in tandem,
as part of the natural systems of which
we are included.
In this book Dr. Cajete evaluates and
explains the sciences of astronomy, bo-
tanical medicine, psychology, agricul-
ture, and cosmology from the Native
perspective of various tribal groups.
The perspective is grounded in the un-
derstanding that the notion of “place”
has much deeper meaning than basic
location. Cajete provides his perspec-
tive as both a studied scholar and one
who is indigenous to the information
that he provides.
As Dr. Cajete’s explanation and analysis
illustrates that traditional Native science
starts with intrinsic recognition of the
law of interconnectedness, he also pro-
vides a perspective that observes human-
ity “as part of ” versus “in opposition to”
nature, and illuminates opportunities to
engineer from the premise of intercon-
nected systems, rather than control and
manipulation. Cajete states that modern
society would likely not be facing such
questions of sustainability if the tradi-
tional Native science of interconnect-
edness had not run in conflict with the
need to control.
Though this book lends itself to most
audiences interested in traditional Na-
tive culture, it is a good reference for
anyone who might consider him or her-
self a student of sustainability. As issues
of climate change and protection of local
food and water systems abound, Native
Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence
offers the traditional perspective neces-
sary in a formula that requires that tradi-
tion and innovation are crucial in dealing
with such complex issues. It provides the
reader an opportunity to reflect on one’s
own traditions, culture and relationship
to nature.
In these times as Northern New Mex-
ico continues to build on a special but
not unique relationship to China by
utilizing consumer goods that may
continue to redefine our landscape
as waste, Cajete reminds us that the
traditional Native perspective is that
“place” is comprised of interconnected
elements that establish the whole of
community – where humanity is part
of the whole of a community ecosys-
tem. He describes a relationship be-
tween sacred and science, where un-
derstanding does not mean to conquer
or possess, but to exist synergistically.
C a m i l l a
Bustamante,
PhD, MPH is
Chair of Math
and Sciences at
Northern NM
College. Email
c b u s ta m a n te @
nnmc.edu.
¥ 3ETH 2OFFMAN
www.GreenFireTimes.com